21 Finance and contracts manager volunteer roles

Role overview

Trustee — Programmes

About us: Could you help us get millions of separated children Back to Family?

Orphanages don’t protect children, they harm them. Put simply: the last thing an orphanage can provide is the first thing a child needs - someone to love them. 

Right now, 5.4 million children around the world are locked away in orphanages — even though over 80% of them are not orphans. Orphanages expose children to abuse and trafficking, and physical and psychological trauma that can last a lifetime. A century of evidence shows that the bond between a child and their family is what every child needs to grow, thrive and be safe. 

The role

As our Programmes Trustee, you will bring senior international development or humanitarian programmes expertise to our Board, helping to strengthen the quality, scale and impact of HHC's work across nine countries. Working closely with our Chair, CEO and Director of Global Programmes, you will contribute to our ambitious 2030 goal by:

• Programmes leadership — drawing on your senior experience to provide strategic oversight and constructive challenge on HHC's programme delivery, quality assurance and evidence base, helping ensure our work delivers real and lasting change for children and families.
• Systems change — advising the Board and Executive on how to drive and sustain national-level care reform across the diverse contexts in which HHC operates, including fragile and conflict-affected settings.
• Humanitarian financing — supporting HHC's ambitions to transform how the humanitarian sector finances work addressing children in orphanages and those at risk of family separation, drawing on your understanding of macro-level financing mechanisms and how they can be influenced.
• Safeguarding and risk — contributing to the Board's oversight of the risk, regulatory and safeguarding context for an international organisation working directly with vulnerable children and families.

Who we are looking for

You will bring senior leadership experience in a programmes function within an NGO, multilateral organisation, government body or major funder — particularly in work with marginalised children, families and communities. Beyond that, we are looking for someone who brings:

• A track record of overseeing or leading programmes at scale across multiple countries or regions, including in lower income, middle income or fragile and conflict-affected settings
• Extensive experience of programme strategy, quality assurance, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and of using evidence to drive decision-making
• A sound understanding of the international development and humanitarian sector, including donor landscapes and the operating environment for international NGOs
• Experience of working in partnership with local government and other stakeholders to bring about systems change

Above all, you will share our belief that every child deserves to grow up in the love and safety of a family, and our commitment to driving that change with courage, integrity, excellence and being deeply human. 

What we offer

This is a voluntary, unremunerated role. In return you will:

• Engage with our work across nine countries 
• Contribute to systemic change at global scale, helping to shape the future for separated children worldwide
• Be part of an organisation approaching its 2030 goal — a worldwide consensus that orphanages have no place in any child's life

Time commitment

The role requires approximately 12–18 days per year, comprising:

• Four Board meetings per year (in person, London or virtual)
• Five subcommittee meetings per year (virtual), as a key member of our Programmes, Advocacy, Research and Accountability Committee (PARAC)
• An annual two-day awayday, which may take place in one of our countries of operation
• Additional time for preparation, ad hoc queries and induction in your first year

The initial term of office is three years, with the possibility of two further three-year terms by mutual agreement.

Closing Date: The final cut off for applications is 17.00 UK time on Thursday 8 October 2026 so please get in touch if you have the right skills, experience and passion for our cause.

To apply, please upload your CV and a brief covering letter indicating why you are interested in joining the Hope and Homes for Children Board and how your experience, skills and values map to the requirements of this role.

Diversity

Hope and Homes for Children actively encourages equity, diversity and inclusion, and we look to recruit a diverse range of people to reflect the communities in which we live. We are keen to see a diverse membership of both the trustee body and committees as we believe diversity brings us closer to our mission of eliminating orphanages.

Thank you for considering this role. Every child deserves to grow up in the love and safety of a family

Contract type

Volunteer

Hours

12 - 18 days per annum

Salary

Voluntary (expenses paid)

Role overview

Trustee — Policy, Advocacy & EDI

About us: Could you help us get millions of separated children Back to Family?

Orphanages don’t protect children, they harm them. Put simply: the last thing an orphanage can provide is the first thing a child needs - someone to love them. 

Right now, 5.4 million children around the world are locked away in orphanages — even though over 80% of them are not orphans. Orphanages expose children to abuse and trafficking, and physical and psychological trauma that can last a lifetime. A century of evidence shows that the bond between a child and their family is what every child needs to grow, thrive and be safe. 

The role

As our Policy, Advocacy & EDI Trustee, you will help shape and strengthen HHC's influence on the global stage, bringing senior expertise to bear on the policy and financing decisions that determine the pace of care reform worldwide. Working closely with our Chair, CEO and senior advocacy and programmes colleagues, you will contribute to our ambitious 2030 goal by:

• Advocacy strategy — providing strategic guidance and constructive challenge to strengthen HHC's global advocacy approach, helping sharpen our positioning, messaging and campaign strategy on care reform. 
• Policy and financing influence — advising the Board and Executive on opportunities to influence the decisions of governments, regional bodies and multilateral institutions, and supporting efforts to shift public and donor financing away from orphanages and towards family-based care. 
• EDI leadership — championing equity, diversity and inclusion across Board governance, organisational culture, safeguarding, and HHC's external voice, including how we portray the children, families and communities we support. 
• Stakeholder relationships — using your personal networks and credibility to open doors with policymakers, multilateral bodies, coalition partners and international fora relevant to care reform.

Who we are looking for

You will bring senior-level experience in public policy, government relations or international advocacy, ideally connected to child protection, social welfare or human rights, and a demonstrable track record of influencing policy or financing decisions at national, regional or international level. Beyond that, we are looking for someone who brings:

• A strong, practical understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion principles and how to apply them to governance and organisational culture
• An active network among policymakers, multilateral institutions, donors or the wider international child rights community
• Experience working across cultures and in international contexts, including in lower income countries and fragile and conflict-affected states
• The ability to translate specialist expertise into clear, practical guidance the Board and Executive can act on

Above all, you will share our belief that every child deserves to grow up in the love and safety of a family, and our commitment to driving that change with courage, integrity, excellence and being deeply human. 

What we offer

This is a voluntary, unremunerated role. In return you will:

• Engage with our work across nine countries 
• Contribute to systemic change at global scale, helping to shape the future for separated children worldwide
• Be part of an organisation approaching its 2030 goal — a worldwide consensus that orphanages have no place in any child's life

Time commitment

The role requires approximately 12–18 days per year, comprising:

• Four Board meetings per year (in person, London or virtual)
• Five subcommittee meetings per year (virtual), as a key member of our Programmes, Advocacy, Research and Accountability Committee (PARAC)
• An annual two-day awayday, which may take place in one of our countries of operation
• Additional time for preparation, ad hoc queries and induction in your first year

The initial term of office is three years, with the possibility of two further three-year terms by mutual agreement.

Closing Date: The final cut off for applications is 17.00 UK time on Thursday 8 October 2026 so please get in touch if you have the right skills, experience and passion for our cause.

To apply, please upload your CV and a brief covering letter indicating why you are interested in joining the Hope and Homes for Children Board and how your experience, skills and values map to the requirements of this role.

Diversity

Hope and Homes for Children actively encourages equity, diversity and inclusion, and we look to recruit a diverse range of people to reflect the communities in which we live. We are keen to see a diverse membership of both the trustee body and committees as we believe diversity brings us closer to our mission of eliminating orphanages.

Thank you for considering this role. Every child deserves to grow up in the love and safety of a family

Contract type

Volunteer

Hours

12 - 18 days per annum

Salary

Voluntary (expenses paid)

The Africa Health Organisation (AHO) seeks to engage in bidding and tendering to deliver health and social care services effectively.  Our goal is to ensure sustainability and positively impact the lives of more people.  We want assistance in developing an ambitious strategy.

What will you be doing?

We are excited to announce an incredible opportunity for a talented Head of Bids and tenders to join our passionate team at the Africa Health Organisation (AHO)!  Since 1999, we've been dedicated to delivering health and social care to millions across Africa and the Diaspora, and now we're ready to further elevate our impact.

This year, we're embarking on a mission to broaden our funding strategy by incorporating bid and tender submissions.  Our goal is to engage with governments in Africa and the UK, the public sector, and the public, providing essential, practical, and emotional support to those facing chronic conditions.  We need a visionary like you to help us achieve our goals.

We're seeking a dynamic, experienced Head of Bids to develop and execute a winning strategy to secure the necessary financial backing.  There are numerous exciting possibilities ahead, including central government tenders, local and statutory opportunities.  We're eager to explore them all.

In this pivotal role, you'll plan and execute our bids and tender writing efforts, ensuring that our bid proposals not only shine but also come to life in meaningful ways.  If you're a bid writer who thrives on creativity and collaboration, we want to hear from you!  Additionally, you'll have the opportunity to inspire and mentor volunteers within our bid and tender team, making a positive impact together.  Join us on this exciting journey!

Key Duties and Responsibilities will include:

• Overall responsibility for delivering high-quality, accurate, compliant and commercially sound proposals on time, to budget, with inputs from key stakeholders.
• Responsible for the coordination and management of all Bid activities, for ensuring that Bid Plans are put in place and that all internal inputs are received promptly to meet Bid submission timescales.
• Responsible for the receipt, management, control and coordination of all external and internal information and documentation with respect to the enquiry and for the team acting as custodian for Bid documents, including all approved internal documentation signed by the Organisation.
• Responsible for compliance with all internal Bid policies and procedures and for passing internal and external audits.
• Contribute to the overall Bid strategy alongside other stakeholders.
• Responsible for the overall leadership of the team and ensuring that individuals within the team are given appropriate opportunities to grow and develop, and that the team maximises performance by creating and fostering a positive, can-do attitude and outlook on an ongoing basis.
• Responsibility to ensure that improvements are identified and those agreed upon are implemented continuously to support the growth and development of the team and those within it.
• There is a need to keep good records and to create and measure metrics on bidding performance to both review performance and drive continuous improvement in a key area of the business.
• Responsible for mentoring and training Bid Managers and Bid Writers to ensure they are up to date with bid requirements and improve their competence.

What are we looking for?

Education, Skills and Experience: Requirements

Essential:

• At least three years of experience in successfully leading teams within a bid environment.
• Proven track record of improvement and achievement - processes and people
• Keen understanding of numbers, spreadsheets, VOP/invoices, rates, cash flow, milestones, negotiations, and pricing audits.
• Ability to write strong proposals and experience as an estimator
• Excellent communicator (written and verbal) with local and international customers, and with an appreciation of cultural differences
• Ability to persuade and influence others
• Ability to lead team by example, with the ability to foster and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to work to deadlines
• Strong business/commercial acumen
• Keen attention to detail
• Commercially sound judgement
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Strong financial skills

Desirable:

• Leadership qualification (CMI or ILM)
• Experience with an integrated project management / ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning)
• Experience in bidding roles in the Medical, Biochemistry, Biomedical, Public Services, Global Health, Humanitarian, NGOs, Public Health and Social Care industry
• MBA, Professional Qualification or formal leadership Qualification (CMI, ILM)

What difference will you make?

In this exciting role, you will lead the strategic process for winning new business through competitive bids, tenders, and proposals, ultimately elevating AHO's success. Your specialised knowledge of bids will enhance our win rates and maximise revenue by bringing clarity, quality, and coordination to what can be a complex, high-stakes journey.

Your primary mission is to boost AHO's tender win rates and strengthen our strategic advantage.  By diligently overseeing each step of the bidding process—from initial evaluation to final submission—you will significantly improve the quality and persuasion of our proposals, directly increasing our chances of securing valuable contracts.

You'll provide key insights to help AHO target the most promising opportunities by implementing a thoughtful "bid/no-bid" process.  This approach will ensure we focus only on lucrative and winnable contracts that closely align with our strategic goals, ultimately saving time and resources and allowing us to prioritise high-potential projects.

In this role, you will orchestrate a well-coordinated process that drives operational efficiency.  As the central point of contact, you will gather input from diverse internal teams—sales, finance, legal, and technical—ensuring everyone collaborates smoothly to meet critical deadlines.

As a leader, you'll elevate the quality of our bid content.  By overseeing the creation of compelling, polished materials, you'll ensure our final submissions are professional, cohesive, and error-free.  You will utilise a centralised content library containing valuable resources, such as case studies and CVs, to streamline efforts and enhance our proposals.

You will keep projects on track by developing detailed project plans and timelines, ensuring all tasks are completed on time—especially critical in the fast-paced environment of tender submissions.  Your effective management will ease colleagues' workloads, allowing the entire team to shine.

To foster long-term business growth, you'll create a wealth of knowledge around our tenders and bids. By conducting insightful post-submission debriefs and analysing feedback, you will capture invaluable lessons from both successes and setbacks.  This ongoing improvement process will enhance our bidding capabilities for future opportunities.

You also have the opportunity to enhance AHO's brand reputation by submitting well-organised, accurate, and compliant bids.  By doing so, you'll showcase our professionalism and reliability to clients, building trust and solidifying our credible standing in the market.

Strategic alignment is vital for sustaining consistent, stable business growth.  Together, we can make a remarkable impact on development.

Chair of the Board of Trustees 

Mind in Salford 

Location: Salford / Hybrid 

Contract: Voluntary Trustee position 

Time commitment: Approximately 1- to 1.5-days per month 

Would you like to use your leadership and governance experience to help shape the future of a charity making a lasting difference to the mental health and wellbeing of people across Salford? 

Mind in Salford is seeking a new Chair of Trustees to lead its Board and support the charity as it builds on over 50 years of providing vital local mental health services. 

About Mind in Salford 

Mind in Salford is an independent, user-focused charity committed to ensuring local people experiencing mental health problems receive the support and respect they deserve. 

The charity provides a range of services including advocacy, welfare rights and debt advice, mindfulness, mental health training and specialist support for the LGBTQ+ community through its Rainbow Mind programme. 

With an experienced Senior Leadership Team and a Board that is going through a period of transition, this is an opportunity for a new Chair to strengthen Board effectiveness, support the development of new Trustees and help shape the charity’s next chapter. 

About the Role 

The Chair will provide strategic leadership to the Board, ensuring effective governance, sound decision-making and a clear focus on Mind in Salford’s charitable purpose. 

In this role, you will lead and develop an effective, inclusive and high-performing Board, Chair meetings, build a strong, constructive relationship with the Chief Executive and represent the Charity and help develop relationships with key partners and supporters. 

About You 

They are looking for someone with senior strategic leadership experience and a strong understanding of charity governance, who can lots of emotional intelligence and sound judgement to the role. 

You will bring: 

• Experience of working with a charity Board or in a senior non-executive role. 

• A strong understanding of the duties and responsibilities of charity Trustees. 

• The ability to chair meetings effectively, build consensus and manage challenging conversations. 

• Experience of providing strategic oversight of finance, risk and organisational performance. 

• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills. 

• A genuine commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. 

Knowledge of health and social care, or a related sector, would be valuable. A connection to Salford and its communities is also important. 

Commitment 

The Board meets every two months, alongside a Finance sub-committee which meets four times a year. Trustees are expected to prepare for meetings, review papers in advance and contribute actively to Board discussions. As Chair you will be expected to meet regularly with the CEO and provide support outside of the formal meeting structure. 

This is a voluntary position, although reasonable out-of-pocket expenses will be reimbursed. The initial term is three years, with a maximum of three terms. 

How to Apply 

To apply, please click Apply Now below. You will need to include: 

• An up-to-date CV. 

• A covering statement of no more than two pages outlining how you meet the requirements of the role and the value you would bring as Chair. 

For an informal conversation about the role, please contact our recruitment partners, Atkinson HR Consulting. Contact information can be found on the Candidate Information Pack and website. 

Key Dates 

Closing date: Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 12 noon 

Interview date: Friday 16 October 2026 (in person) 

Inclusive Boards is delighted to be supporting Oaklea Trust in their search for their next Chair of Trustees. 

About Oaklea Trust

The Oaklea Trust is a charitable organisation whose purpose is to give vulnerable people the opportunity to live and work as independently as possible within their community. Established in 2002 and based in Cumbria, County Durham and Northumberland, we support disabled, disadvantaged and vulnerable children and adults. Our charitable work supports people of all ages who have Learning Disabilities, Physical Disabilities, Mental Health needs, and/or Dementia.

The Oaklea Group is made up of the charity, Oaklea Trust, and its commercial arm, Right2Work. Together, they support people and communities to learn, develop and thrive through person-centred care and support, learning opportunities, and pathways into employment.

This is a unique opportunity to help lead a values-driven organisation that supports people and communities across the North of England to learn, develop and thrive.

About the Chair opportunity

As Chair, you will energise and empower the Board and the Group as a whole. You will foster a culture of openness, collaboration, and constructive debate. You will inspire confidence and ensure the highest standards of governance, integrity and accountability. 

You will also help shape the Group’s future impact, supporting our mission to reduce inequality and create opportunities for people and communities to thrive. Through your strategic insight and advocacy, you will help extend our reach, strengthen partnerships and ensure more people can access the care, support and opportunities they need and deserve.

The Chair of the Oaklea Board of Trustees will:

• Ensure the Board functions effectively
• Guide Oaklea Trust’s strategic direction
• Ensure governance oversight
• Represent Oaklea Trust internally and externally
• Evaluate and support the Chief Executive
• Champion the leadership of Committees

We are seeking a new Chair of Trustees who can bring the following experience and capabilities to the role. We recognise that lived experience can offer valuable insights that greatly enhance a role like this, especially when combined with professional expertise.

Experience/Background:

• Experience of strategic leadership and governance within an organisation of equivalent size and complexity to Oaklea Trust, ideally within a Group structure. 
• A track record of driving growth and innovation, with the ability to apply insight to support the achievement of Oaklea Trust’s strategic objectives. 
• Understanding of the challenges associated with leading and delivering regulated services and the management of the associated risks.
• Ability to constructively challenge and hold space for compassionate and constructive conversations.
• Financial and commercial acumen, including experience in financial planning, oversight, risk management, and the establishment and monitoring of systems of control and accountability. 
• Ability to scrutinise and manage financial risk, ensuring long-term financial sustainability and safeguarding against fraud. 
• Ability to open doors, build networks and maximise opportunities with a range of stakeholders, funders and partner organisations.
• Previous trustee and/or Chair/Vice Chair experience is desirable.